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Egypt in the age of Cleopatra : history and society under the Ptolemies

Few other civilizations rival ancient Egypt in its power to capture the modern imagination, and Cleopatra VII, monarch at the end of the Ptolemaic period, has always been preeminent among its cast of characters. Coming to power just before the unstable state was about to be absorbed into an autocratic empire, Cleopatra oversaw not only Egypt's progress as an influential regional power but also the fragile peace of its ethnically mixed population. Michel Chauveau looks at many facets of life under this queen and her dynasty, drawing on such sources as firsthand accounts, numismatics, and Greek, Demotic, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. His use of such sources helps to free the narrative of dependence on later Greek and Roman historians. By taking up such subjects as funeral customs, language and writing, social class structure, religion, and administration, he affords the reader a picture of Greek and Egyptian life in both the cities and the countryside. --From publisher's description.Read more...

Historical perspective --
Greek pharaohs and their subjects --
Cities and countryside --
Economy and society --
Priests and temples --
Living on the death of others --
Soldiers and peasants --
Two languages, two cultures, three writing systems.

Other Titles:

Egypte au temps de Cléopâtre.

Responsibility:

Michel Chauveau ; translated from the French by David Lorton.

Abstract:

Few other civilizations rival Ancient Egypt in its power to capture the modern imagination, and Cleopatra VII, monarch at the end of the Ptolemaic period, has always been preeminent among its cast of characters. Coming to power just before the...Read more...

Reviews

Editorial reviews

Publisher Synopsis

"Chauveau makes extensive use of the Egyptian sources, including papyri, ostraca, hieroglyphic inscriptions, stelae, and coins to present a concise overview of both urban and rural Egypt under the last of the Ptolemaic rulers. . . .Well researched and documented, the book provides a valuable and needed overview for both students and more advanced scholars."-Denise Doxey, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Religious Studies Review, Vol. 28, No. 3, July 2002 "Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra..is a valuable addition as there are few, if any, general publications of this period, and it provides a very readable and entertaining overview."-Helen Strudwick, Antiquity 2001 "The book provides an easily digestible introduction to Cleopatra's world. . . A fascinating introduction to an era when the political and military face of the Mediterranean world was changing rapidly."-Patricia Spencer, Egyptian Archaeology, No. 18, Spring 2001 "Chauveau offers a detailed and vivid portrayal of these three centuries from the perspective of an Egyptian. . . . This excellent work richly reveals two cultures, Egyptian and Greek, involved in colonialism, imperialism, and acculturation. Upper-division undergraduates and above."-Choice. September 2000 "Michel Chauveau has given the reader a useful, readable and easy-to-navigate summary of Lagide Egypt. . . Lorton's translation, as always, is smooth and precise. . . It should be part of every Egyptophile's library."-KMT, Winter 2001-02Read more...